Process of and apparatus for cracking oil



g G EGLOFF PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CRACKING OIL Orizinal Filed Ded. 13, 1920 Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,638,115 PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV EGLOFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CRACKING OIL.

Application filed December 13, 1920, Serial No. 430,125. Renewed March 24, 1927.

This invention relates to improvements in process for cracking petroleum oil, and refers more particularly to the method of superheating the oil in an expansion chamber located outside the main heating zone. In thepresent invention the oil in the vapor expanslon chamber is subjected to surface heating in such a way as to superheat and more effectively crack the vapors without at the same time attempting to heat the liquid residue in the expansionchamber. In the present invention the oil under a substantial pressure of say 150 pounds or more is delivered continuously in substantially liquid phase to an expansion chamber Where vaporization takes place. The liquid residue isdrawn 01f continuously from the lower end of such expansion chamber, but the vapors are superheated by subjecting the upper portion of the expansion chamber to direct heat action without at the same time attemptmg to further distil the lower part of the oil in the expansion chamber.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of the'apparatus forcarrying out the invention, and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the expansion -chamber.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the furnace, having combustion chamber 2,

burner 3, stack 41. In this combustion space is mounted the heating coil 5, which may take the form of a continuous length of several hundred feet of four-inch to six-inch pipe. The inlet side of this coil is connected by feed line 6 to feed pump 7, leading to any suitable source of raw oil supply. The outlet side of the heating coil is connected by insulated transfer line 8, having throttle valve 9, to the upper end of an expansion chamber 10. This expansion chamber 10 is located outside the fire zone, and may take the form of a large cylindrical drum so con structed as to he say 6 to 16 feet in diameter and 30 to feet long. The expansion chamher is provided with liquid draw 01f pipe 11,

controlled by throttle valve 12, and a vapor outlet pipe 13, extending into the lower part of a dephlegmator 14. The pipe 13 is pro-- vided with a spaced cap member 15, the arrangement being such so as to permit the vapors to enter the dephlegmator, but preventing the. liquid condensate from falling i directly back in'the expansion chamber. iInstead, this reflux condensate is drawn 011 by cracked.

to impinge directly against the walls of the drum throughout the length of the latter. The arrangement justdescribed is such that not only the vapors, but'the reflux ondensate is subjected to the action of heat as they are compelled to travel throughout the length of the expansion chamber. At the same time, care is taken to avoid superheating and cracking the carbon containing resi 1due in the lower part of the expansion cham- The dephlegmator 14 heretofore referred to is provided with a plurality of bafile members 20, and at its upper end with a vapor outlet pipe 21,having throttle valve 22, leading to condenser coil 28. This condenser coil 23 is seated in condenser box 24, and is connected at its lower end by line 25 to receiver 26. The receiver 26 has liquid level gauge 27 gas outlet pipe 28, controlled by throttle valve-29, and liquid draw oft pipe 30, controlled by valve 31. The system is provided with suitable pressure gauges 32 distributed throughout, and pyromet-ers not shown. I

In carrying out the process, a heavy fuel oil or heavy Mexican crude, for example, may be continuously fed through the heating coil, subjected to a pressure of say 135 pounds, and heated to a temperature of say 720 degrees F. It should be delivered in substantially liquid form to the expansion chamher where vaporization takes place. The vapors may be superheated to a temperature of considerably higher than the temperature of the oil, say 780 degrees F., but the vapor chamber; and the rest of the system maintained under the same pressure, namely, 1-35 pounds. The reflux condensate; of course,

will be subjected to the heat in the upper part of the "expansion chamber and re- At the same time, the heavy residue in thelower part of the chamber will not be superheated thus tending to undue formation of carbon in the residue. I claim as my invention: a

1. The process of cracking petroleum oil,

comprising heating the oil by passing the same in a small stream of restricted'cross seci Q I tion through a'heating chamber under pressure, in discharging the oil in a'substantially liquid phase 1nto an enlarged expanslon chamber where vaporization takes place, 1n

locally and positively heatin'gthe upper portion of said eXpansionchamber to impart heat to the vapors therein by'applying' heat to the chamber substantially along its entire length, in discharging the'vapors to a reflux condenser, in retreating the reflux condensate separated from the vapor, and in maintain-- ing the vapor pressure on the oil-in said dephlegmator and expansion chamber. i

2. In an apparatus for cracking oil, the combination with a furnace; of an elongated coil for the passage of oil therethrough and an expansion chamber adjacent the furnace,

a'reflux'condenser communicating with said expansion chamber, means for returning reflux condensate from said condenser to said chamber at one side thereof opposite the part of said expansion chamber comprising an elongated burner disposed at'cne side of said chamberabove the normal oil level therein andextending longitudinally of the chamber substantially throughout its-length.

vapor discharge, and heating means dforlo-i .cally applying heat directly to the upper 3. A process of cracking hydrocarbon oil,

chamber by applying heat locally to said ex- 'pansion'chamber at or above the'liquid level ,ofoil in said expansion chamber and in removing the vapors and subjecting them to condensing action.

GUSTAV EGLOFF. 

